Biodiversity: The Situation and What

Biodiversity: The Situation and What to Do About It

The term "biodiversity" is deceptively simple. Its original and very basic definition can be gleaned from the word itself, which is rather obviously a contraction of "biological" and "diversity," which managed to remain whole in this new word. Biodiversity, then, refers to te diversity of life -- of biological entities -- that exists on this planet (and possibly elsewhere, though the term is not generally used with an extraterrestrial perspective in mind). Far from remaining the simplified way of saying "biological diversity" as was originally intended, however, the term has taken on a significance all its own as the rate of loss in biodiversity has reached alarming highs in the past few decades (Faith 2007). Though the term "biodiversity" still technically refers to the variety of life forms still present on the planet, the word itself now generates a context of human awareness of their actions, and the impact that humanity as a species is having on the environment at large and the survival of other species specifically.

The question of what we are doing about biodiversity is a complicated one. It is believed, and proven in many specific instances, that humans are a major cause of extinction in other species (Shah 2009). Through pollution and deforestation that directly destroy many plant and animal species' environments and ecosystems, leaving them without the necessary conditions -- including shelter and food/prey -- to sustain life, as well as through indirect destruction through global warming brought on by human carbon emissions, humans are doing a lot to decrease the level of biodiversity. At the same time, the growing awareness of the biodiversity issue, and the adaptation of the term, has been accompanied by growing efforts to halt such destructive activities, conserve ecosystems and species populations, and even certain rehabilitative efforts (Shah 2009).

Many nations have developed their own laws aimed at protecting and even increasing biodiversity when possible; some well-known pieces of legislature in the United States include the Endangered Species Act, which was actually passed more than a decade before the term biodiversity was coined, and the Soil and Water Conservation Act and Clean Air Act, both of which were not specifically aimed at maintaining levels of biodiversity or slowing the rate of biodiversity oss, but which have these effects regardless (Faith 2007). Following the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992, many other nations also began passing laws, and international laws and standards were also set (Pethiyagoda 2004). Ironically, some scientists claim, some of these laws are actually so restrictive that they are prohibitive to research attempts that would aid in the conservation effort by providing deeper and richer understandings of specific ecosystems and environments that are high in biodiversity (Pethiyagoda 2004). This is especially true in still-developing countries, many of which have enacted environmental and biodiversity protection laws as a means of gaining recognition from the developed world, but which prohibits them from conducting business and research in order to help them develop (Pethiyagoda 2004). Clearly, a clearer understanding of the issue is needed.